Morwell

Latrobe Valley coal town in Gippsland, with koala habitat in nearby Morwell National Park

Morwell sits in the Latrobe Valley in Gippsland, the heart of Victoria's brown coal country. It is not a tourist destination in the conventional sense — the open-cut mines and power stations that dominate the valley are a stark reminder of industrial Australia — but the town has an unexpected natural asset on its doorstep.

Morwell National Park, on the town's southern edge, protects a stretch of tall eucalypt forest and is home to a resident koala colony. The Billys Creek walk winds through the forest past fern gullies and a waterfall, and it is one of the few places in Gippsland where you can reliably spot koalas in the wild without a guide.

If you are passing through the Latrobe Valley on your way to the Gippsland Lakes or Wilsons Promontory, the national park makes a worthwhile stop.

Guide

Getting There

Morwell is 150 km east of Melbourne via the Princes Highway. By train, V/Line runs regular services from Melbourne's Southern Cross Station to Morwell, with the journey taking about two hours. The station is central and an easy walk from the town centre.

By car, the Princes Highway is the direct route through the Latrobe Valley. Morwell makes a convenient stop if you are driving between Melbourne and the Gippsland Lakes or Wilsons Promontory.

Guide

Things to Do

Morwell's main natural drawcard is Morwell National Park, which starts almost at the edge of town. The park protects a remnant of the tall eucalypt forests that once covered the Latrobe Valley and is one of the most accessible places in Gippsland to see koalas in the wild. Industrial history is everywhere you look, too — the Latrobe Valley powered Victoria for most of the 20th century, and the scale of the brown coal mines and power stations is genuinely impressive.